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How did WhatsApp gain traction? Presumably most of their users already use facebook, which offers the same messaging functionality as WhatsApp. So why do peopl

How did WhatsApp gain traction? Presumably most of their users already use facebook, which offers the same messaging functionality as WhatsApp. So why do people use WhatsApp instead of Facebook for messaging?

greenpresident 13y ago
It's phone number based, so it's disconnected from your social media presence. You don't have to add anyone or allow them access to whatever you might share with your circle of friends. In my experience it also handles group chats better than Facebook and grew popular before the advent of the Facebook messenger app.
- pbhjpbhj 13y ago
  >allow them access to whatever you might share with your circle of friends // I only know about it from being recommended it and having read it's legal info today but ... the legal info says that anyone with your phone number listed in their contacts can access your messages unless you block them. That seems different to what you're saying. (Like I said, I've not used it).
slig 13y ago
IIRC, they used to market the app as "free SMS service", which, I believe, was a key component in getting huge amount of users in 3rd countries.
- ronaldx 13y ago
  > I believe, was a key component in getting huge amount of users in 3rd countries. In the UK as well. Although many people have free effectively-unlimited SMS in the UK, this costs £ and not everyone has. Also consider that international SMS are charged at extortionate rates, and I know some teenagers who have busted through the limit of "unlimited" SMS. And so, the introduction goes: "I'll text you - do you have Whatsapp? Oh :(". This social pressure has driven almost everyone onto the service. And people have kept using it because it's just as functional and less restrictive than 160 characters.
qq66 13y ago
The number of people who want to send text messages is several times the number of people who want to use Facebook, especially given the cost of mobile data on prepaid phones.

greenpresident 13y ago

It's phone number based, so it's disconnected from your social media presence. You don't have to add anyone or allow them access to whatever you might share with your circle of friends. In my experience it also handles group chats better than Facebook and grew popular before the advent of the Facebook messenger app.

pbhjpbhj 13y ago
>allow them access to whatever you might share with your circle of friends // I only know about it from being recommended it and having read it's legal info today but ... the legal info says that anyone with your phone number listed in their contacts can access your messages unless you block them. That seems different to what you're saying. (Like I said, I've not used it).

slig 13y ago

IIRC, they used to market the app as "free SMS service", which, I believe, was a key component in getting huge amount of users in 3rd countries.

ronaldx 13y ago
> I believe, was a key component in getting huge amount of users in 3rd countries. In the UK as well. Although many people have free effectively-unlimited SMS in the UK, this costs £ and not everyone has. Also consider that international SMS are charged at extortionate rates, and I know some teenagers who have busted through the limit of "unlimited" SMS. And so, the introduction goes: "I'll text you - do you have Whatsapp? Oh :(". This social pressure has driven almost everyone onto the service. And people have kept using it because it's just as functional and less restrictive than 160 characters.

qq66 13y ago

The number of people who want to send text messages is several times the number of people who want to use Facebook, especially given the cost of mobile data on prepaid phones.